Foreclosure bargains

Columbus and three other Ohio cities are the best places in the country
to buy foreclosed properties this year, according to a new ranking by RealtyTrac.

Cleveland led the nation, followed by Dayton at No. 2, Columbus at No. 4
and Canton at No. 8.

RealtyTrac looked at four pieces of information for 900 cities to create
the list: the percentage increase in foreclosed homes; the average price they fetched; the average
time it took to sell the properties; and the percentage discount foreclosed homes sold for.

In Columbus, 92 percent more foreclosed homes sold in the fourth quarter
compared to a year earlier. They sold for an average of $87,994, which is 48 percent less than
conventional properties, and they took an average of 139 days to sell.